Key fastener



W. A. STUBBS KEY FASTENER Jul 19, 1927.

Filed May 6, 1926 Patented July 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES PA-TENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. sruBBs, or snnmmooxn; eunianoicANAnA;

KEY ras'rnnnn v 7 1 Application filed my a, 1926. samurai 11012 49.

tendsthrough thezblocks 14, 15, and the arms I This invention relates to means forsaie-f' guarding door-keys and for retaining thenr .in position in their'keyholes. An object of the invention is to prevent a door-key from.

side of thedoor opposite to that from which the handle of the key projects. Other advantageous features-and combinations will 15 be apparent to one skilled in the art from:

the disclosure in thespecifioation and 'on the drawing, of which,

Figure 1 isan end view of a portion of the i devioe, a part thereof being shown in-oross 5 have loutwardly bent complementary. por- -t-1ons;21"adapted rto receive and loosely ensection.

Figure 2 is be sideiview of the members il- 1 lustrated in Figure 1, a fragment of: a door with a door knob and key being valso indirated. i

26 'Figure 3 is a sectioneon the norm Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective of another mem-l her if the device. a I

Figure 5 is :a fragmentary view eta" modi- 80 Bed form of the member shown in Figure 4:.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section of a door showing the relative positions of the (parts of the device and a door-key,"

Figure 7 is an end view of the member as :SlIOWn'jin Figure 1 showing its relation to the keyhole in the wall of the lock; Reterring to Figure 1 10 represents a iflmt strip of resilient material preierably Spring StB6l,xWhlCl1 is bent asst-Q11 into a.

U shape .fhaving upstanding arms 12. Near (the band 11 the arms 12 are-each bent to form a transverse groove-as at 13, these grooves. being mutually complementary and adapted .to receive and grip the stem on. .a doorkev therebeween. Aclamp is provided adj acent to the groove-portions 13 to press those por- I linens into gripping engagement with the stem of a door-key. This clamp-maybe of wanysdesired structure. As showing-it comiprises :a pair of ilaloc'ks 1'4, 1 5, mounted-on the outer faces zof the arms 12 :ad aeent to the sgnuove portions I13. .A set sorew16havring :a flange 1&7 :mnd a knurled head .18 ex- 12, being in threaded engagement with the block 14 whichisonthe side of the U-sbaped member 10xopposite to thehead 18 of the setscrew. Thescrew 1(3 fits loosely insuitable apertures in the arms 12 and the block .15, --theflange "17 being adapted to bear setup andby reason of its threaded engagement withl-the block 14 to cause the blocks 11and15 to move toward ieachothen, press ing the arms12 together vbetween them inarms 12 areextension members 20. These gage the neck 22*ota'door knob This en- -ga gen1ent-issufioient to prevent the whole a device from being turned with the key, and also prevents-the 'key from being shaken .or otherwise removed firom the keyhole when the groovewportions 13 are engaging its stem. The lower ends ofthe extension members 20 are slotted, the arms 12 having rivets 24 therethrough which with plates 25 engage both sides of the extension members 20, the

rivet riding in: the slot thereof as indicated against the bloek 15 when the set screwis V in Figure 3. The'fit of the extension memand the ,platesi25 is suificiently snug .to retain the membersg20 in any position in which they are set.

The set screw 16 may be set up to grip the key stem withany desired degree of firmness, either loosely to permitithe turning of the key but to avoid the displaeementof the key from the keyhole as when the door is bers 20 between the heads of the rivets 2 1 i lock and sufficiently thin to be out of the way of the web of the door-key 28 when lying on the bottoms of said slots in the walls of the lock. The member 26 is provided with a portion 29 bent upwardly and formed with an enlarged end 30 in which may be an aperture 31 to receive the end of the key pin 32 when the key pin is inserted through the eyes 33 in the walls 27 of the lock. Figure 6 shows the relative positions of the various parts in a door-lock. The bent portions 13 are here shown engaging the stem 35 of the key while the member 26 extends through the lock and out from the keyhole 36, the member 26 having a portion tending through the U-shaped member 10 and being bent about one side thereof as at 37 to prevent removal of the member 26 outwardly through the keyhole. As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the horizontal portion of the member 26 is bent upwardly as it leaves the keyhole 36 so that a part of the hook-' shaped end portion 37 passes through the U-member 10 above the loop 11 and between the blocks 14:, 15. When therefore the screw 16 is set up, the member 26 is clamped tightly between the blocks 14;, 15 as indicated in Figure 1. Instead of the aperture 31 to receive the end ofthe key pin 32, I may form a cup-shaped indentation 38 as shown in Figure 5. With this construction, the

outer eye and slot of theelock 27 is com-' pletely screened by a barrier comprising the member 29 with its enlarged end 30. With the member 26 in position, it is not necessary toset up the set screw 16 tightly, suflicient engagement to prevent the key being removed irom the lock being all that is necessary. With this adjustment, the key can be turned to lock or unlock the door without stopping to adjust the device in any way.

Having thus described an embodiment of my invention, I desire to have it understood that it is not to be limited by the forms illustrated and described, but is subject to such changes or modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A key fastener comprising a U-shaped member having resilient arms formed with transverse complementary grooves adjacent to the bend of the U to receive and grip therebetween the stem of a door-key, adjustable extension members on said arms formed with grooves to receive the neck of a door knob therebetween, and clamping means mounted on said arms adjacent the grooves therein and actuable to press said grooved arms into gripping engagement with the stem of a door-key therebetween.

2. A key fastener comprising a resilient strip bent into a U-shape with upstanding arms having transverse complementary grooves bent therein to receive the stem of a door-key therebetween, a block mounted on the outer face of each arm adjacent the groove portion, a set screw passing through said blocks and arms and in threaded engagement with one of the blocks, a flange on said set screw engaging the other said block, a knurled head on said screw adjacent said flange, and slotted extension members slidably attached to said arms, said extension members having complementary bent portions to receive therebetween the neck of a door knob.

3. The combination with a door-lock assembly including a key and a door knob neck, of means for retaining the key in place in the keyhole, said means comprising a U-shaped member having a pair of arms with portions engaging the key therebetween, said arms having longitudinally adjustable extensions With portions engaging said neck therebetween, and means for adjustably clamping the key-engaging portions of said member.

4. The combination with a door-lock assembly with keyhole slots in the walls of the lock, or" means for retaining a key in place in the keyhole, and means extending through the slots of the lock for preventing access to the pin of the key.

5. The combination with a door having therein a lock assembly including a spindle and a door knob mounted on said spindle,

said lock having keyhole slots for a key, said door having a keyhole aligned with said slots and eyes, of a device for preventing undesired movement of the key, said device comprising a clamp adjustably gripping a portion of the stem of the key pro ecting from the keyhole, and a member extending through said slots, a portion of said member constituting a barrier preventing access to the pin of the key, another portion of saidmember engaging said clamp to hold said member in position.

6. The combination with a door having therein a lock assembly, a spindle and a door knob mounted on said spindle, said lock hav- 1 ing keyhole slots for said key, a door having a keyhole aligned with said slots and eyes, of a device for preventing movement of said key, said device comprising a spring mem- 'ber bent into a U-shaped clamp having arms extending upwardly from the bend, a set screw extending through the arms near the bend, means cooperating with said set screw for drawing said arms together, complementary bends in arms adjacent the setscrew forming-recesses to receive the stem of the key therebetween, the face of the arms within said recesses being roughened to grip said key tightly when the set screw is set up, extension members slidably attached to the upper portions of said arms, said extension members having complementary bends therein forming recesses toreceive the neck of the door knob therebetween, and an elonvided with a disk-shaped end having a cupgated member extending through said slots shaped depression therein to recelve and and having an end projecting from said keyscreen the end of the key pin. 1 hole, the projecting end being bent around In testimony whereof I have aflixed my 5 a portion of said clamp, the opposite end signature. r

being bent upwardly to screen the adjacent Y slot, said upwardly bent portion being pro- WILLIAM A. STUBBS. 

